The present invention relates to a refrigerator unit and/or a freezer unit having at least one carcass which bounds at least one refrigerated inner space as well as having at least one first and one second door which open in opposite directions, which are pivotally connected to the carcass and by means of which the inner space can be closed, wherein the doors are each designed with at least one seal, with the seals being arranged in a first position they adopt in the closed state of the doors such that they seal the region between the doors.
Such refrigerator units and/or freezer units are known as so-called French-door units. In this unit, the named seals have the object of sealing the region between the two doors opening in opposite directions. Furthermore, seals are usually provided which seal the region between the carcass and the door.
In the closed state of both doors, the seals located between the doors usually contact one another such that the desired sealing function is achieved or a heat input into the refrigerated inner space through a region between the doors is largely or completely prevented.
A problem with such units is that a rubbing of the seals on one another may occur under certain circumstances on the opening of a door and on the closing of a door which makes the opening and closing of the door more difficult, on the one hand, and is unwanted, on the other hand, to the extent that it can have a negative effect on the service life of the seals. It is thus fundamental that the named door seals take over the desired sealing function between the doors in the closed state of the doors, but, as soon as a door is opened or closed, may not impede this closing procedure or opening procedure, where possible. This would in particular have disadvantages in the use of self-closing systems since these do not have any great closing forces so that it is possible under certain circumstances that a door does not close properly.